Opinion

At first blush, it’s easy to be content with the fact that Mayor Muriel Bowser and her team, including City Administrator Kevin Donahue and Budget Director Jenny Reed, managed to avoid layoffs and furloughs during this current fiscal year…

DC youth need secure housing so they can spend their time, attention and energy on building their futures — not merely surviving. Youth experiencing homelessness are full of potential, dreams and aspirations. However, due to circumstances…

Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged to include in her proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and Financial Plan the repeal of Initiative 82, the citizen ballot measure that has wreaked havoc on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Even if…

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser seems to have ramped up her game lately, broadening her vision for the District’s future while attempting to stabilize its finances and increase private-sector investments. Last week, she unveiled a $3.7…

Most personal purchases today happen with a quick swipe or tap of a credit or debit card. It’s fast, convenient and safe — thanks to massive investments in fraud protection and secure payment networks. But now, that system is under threat…

It seemed a Dickensian moment in DC — not the famous Tale of Two Cities, but rather a variation with one city simultaneously experiencing two seemingly opposing financial challenges. Or maybe it’s more aptly described as “déjà vu all over…

The struggle for DC’s autonomy has never been more urgent, as federal-level attacks destabilize our local government and stall our local budget process. President Donald Trump’s slashing of federal jobs and vital programs is causing pain…

Five months after DC voters approved the “Make All Votes Count DC” ballot initiative that could bring semi-open primaries and the controversial practice of ranked choice voting to the nation’s capital, the DC Board of Elections has finally…

“Be careful what you ask for” is an adage that Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson and other elected officials ought to have pondered in recent days while pushing for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on the…

When people lose jobs and income, stress levels rise — and for individuals with a history of controlling or abusive behavior, that can become a catalyst for violence. We’ve seen it after every economic downturn and most recently in very…

In the last few weeks, the DC Council, led by Chair Phil Mendelson, has considered at least two legislative proposals that seem to deliberately diminish the agency and influence of District residents in their government, despite the fact…

“I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and part of my life was lived during segregation. My family protected us. They also educated me,” explained artist, educator and curator Cheryl Edwards during a recent interview with me. “My mother…

Across the country, veteran-owned businesses handle $1.3 trillion in sales each year and provide jobs to more than 5 million Americans, according to the Small Business Administration. Each of these nearly 2 million businesses, whether they…

DC should be doing its best to allow all of its students to find successful careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In 2023, the median annual wage of STEM occupations was $101,650, compared to $46,680 for…

Facing the dire effects of a resolution to continue funding of the federal government approved by the Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives that would essentially snatch $1 billion from local revenues, District of Columbia…

During the latest round of performance oversight hearings, some DC Council members have asked advocates and public witnesses to indicate the amount of extra spending they envision for existing programs. Most have responded with requests…

Washingtonians are serious about education, and DC Council hearings focused on education over the past several years are proof: Hundreds of witnesses sign up every time, including dedicated teachers, invested parents, thoughtful students…

Ecosystem. That was the word that drew me into Mayor Muriel Bowser’s recent discussion about the “Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants and Landlords (RENTAL) Act.” Her administration’s legislative proposal, as presented…

Government has a fundamental responsibility to provide an excellent education to the next generation. To meet the moment, we must get cellphones out of the classroom and empower our students to learn and our teachers to teach without…

When Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, chair of the newly constituted Committee on Youth Affairs, conducts his performance oversight of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children and the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) this…